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Contents
2 editorial 3 A Word From
the sarawak Craft Council
4 Great expectations
6 Guess Who Came to the Rainforest World Crafts Bazaar?
8 Before the Loom
10 silver Crafts
14 Miku, the Man of Many trades
15 What’s on
EditorialInternatIonal lInks
the rainforest World Crafts Bazaar, held from July 9–15, was a lot of fun for all concerned – hard work, too!
By now the pavilions have been dismantled, the participants have gone home to their own villages, towns or countries, and we can consider the impact this Bazaar has made on the local handicrafts scene.
During the hectic run-up to the rWCB a few people did ask: “so much fuss and trouble – what for? Will this do any good to our own craftspeople?” the answer is, “Yes. International exposure is doing good to our own craftspeople.”
normally, if we want foreigners to see our crafts we have to take them, or at least their goods, to Japan, to the Uk, to australia, to singapore, to India. During a huge event like the rainforest World Music Festival, the foreigners come to us. the ladies from Baram showcased and sold their beadwork to customers from 50-odd countries. If that’s not ‘exposure’, what is?
the international craftspeople who took part in the rWCB did more than just browse and shop among sarawak’s wide offering of crafts. they sketched, photographed, studied, compared, asked questions. the felt-workers from kyrgyzstan were particularly interested in our bark cloth; felt and bark have some similarities in a world of mainly loom-woven textiles. the Japanese graphic artist who created those comic-book dolls took a good look at sarawak’s traditional designs. In return, are any of our craftspeople going to venture into making dolls? not necessarily space-age grotesques, just a line of well-designed dolls in local costumes?
that was one of the purposes of our Bazaar – to show to our craftspeople what else, over and above what they’ve always produced, they should try their hand at. the sellers of bead necklaces and bracelets were asked for anklets, again and again. so here’s the message: create a well-made, appealing line of anklets for the next rWCB (all sizes, from s to Xl!).
the purpose of a bazaar is to sell goods, and judging by the feedback sales were satisfactory. some lines sold out (beadwork items, and headgear), others were less successful. Craftspeople and vendors will know next time which are the most ‘laku’ items, and bring more of them.
another purpose of a bazaar is to make contacts. at least one prominent local bamboo grower was seen deep in conference with the bamboo-instrument makers from Bandung, hopefully leading to one line of crafts cooperation with our southern neighbour. an australian distributor of hand-made household and gift wares got in touch a few days after the bazaar had closed. a long-term rWMF fan, he stumbled upon the rWCB almost by chance, but now he’s seen the show he is hoping to make a trade connection.
CraFts is published by Crafthub sdn Bhd for the sarawak Crafts Council (sCC).opinions expressed by contributors to CraFts are not necessarily those of the sCC or Crafthub.the contents of CraFts may not be reproduced in any medium without prior written permission.Feedback is welcome, write to us at crafthub@gmail.com.
editor: Heidi MunanPublication Managers: Donald tan and Freya MartinContributors: reynold ahviet, lucy ang-abey, Margaret apau, Dr thomas ChungPrinted at the Bahagia Press sdn Bhd, lot 225 section 49, Jln Padungan Utara, 93100 kuching.Published by Crafthub sdn Bhd, 1st Floor 96 Main Bazaar, 93000 kuching.
the cover photo, showing Datuk amar laila taib and Datuk Gramong Juna officially opening the rWCB, was taken by s k suchen, the sarawak tourism Board official photographer.
Contact on a more official level was made by the sCC. the contingent of artisans and vendors who occupied the impressive Pavilion Indonesia included a number of officials from the Indonesian Crafts Council. these experienced and efficient crafts administrators were delighted to meet Datuk Gramong, chairman of the sCC, and members of his staff. this is how networks are created, by knotting a few strands at a time.
the rWCB has made a modest start, networking, showcasing, exposing sarawak to the world and the world to sarawak.
02
In early August, the sCC team worked with seDC at the sarawak tourism and Leisure Group 2008 Products Update in Kuala Lumpur, held at the Federal Hotel. Pn Rosemary Jagak
was on hand to demonstrate bemban weaving to potential clients in line with seDC’s effort to promote sarawak as an ideal travel destination, both for leisure and for business.
In conjunction with Merdeka month, quite a number of events were held at Kuching Waterfront and, in particular, the Promosi Kraftangan Malaysia 2008 from 1–10 August at which sCC was invited to showcase local arts and crafts. there were also participants from West Malaysia and sabah and a total of about 77 stalls. to make it livelier, there were also local singers, cultural dances and musical performances so that everybody could enjoy the show.
the sCC were then in Kanowit from 16–23 August for the Pesta Kanowit 2008 organised by Kanowit District Council and launched by YB Datuk Gramong Juna. For the festival, sCC brought along local craftspeople to promote their crafts, for example, Mr Malang Jabu and his woodcarving and Mdm Aini binti sawat. the sCC booths attracted both local residents and visitors from outside
The Sarawak Craft Councilthe sCC promotes the state’s ethnic handicrafts, both to preserve a priceless artistic heritage and to improve the artisans’ livelihood. the predominantly rural craftworkers now have a realistic option to augment their income from agriculture.the Craft Council coordinates the activities of government and private entities involved in handicraft development in sarawak.
Mission Statementthe sarawak Craft Council provides leadership in the development and enhancement of the handicaft industry in sarawak.
Objectiveto develop the handicraft industry into a more coordinated and progressive enterprise that will complement the needs of the tourism industry.
YB Datuk Gramong Juna at Pesta Kanowit
As we move into october, the sarawak Craft Council looks back with pride at the first Rainforest Worlds Crafts Bazaar held at the Rainforest World Music Festival in July, which the Council organised in conjunction with sarawak tourism Board – you can read more about the success of the Bazaar in this issue. But work didn’t stop there – the team were also actively promoting crafts in KL, Kuching and Kanowit as well as Pahang throughout August.
Kanowit. stalls were selling everything from crafts to fashion accessories, clothing, homemade DIY tapestries, books and tantalizing local food delicacies, but from our observation the hottest items were the bead necklaces! there were also watersports including longboat and power boat racing, which made the whole event even more exciting!
Members of the team then travelled to Pahang at the invitation of the sarawak tourism Board to showcase arts and crafts at the sarawak Food and Cultural Promotion held from 18–31 August at Resort Hotel Genting. sCC officer Ms ester Luat accompanied Mdm Racha salem, who was selected to demonstrate bemban weaving. three chefs from one famous hotel in Kuching also came to create speciality dishes.
these recent events gave Malaysians and foreign visitors alike the chance to experience sarawak with all their senses – including taste!
by Reynold Ahviet
A word from...The Sarawak Craft Council
03
embracing the traditional arts and crafts, the addition of the Rainforest World Crafts Bazaar to this year’s Rainforest World Music Festival is almost like slotting in the missing piece of a well-loved jigsaw puzzle, adding dimension and enrichment to this already well-rounded event. Host to a diversity of professional craftsmen from all over the world -– from sabah to Indonesia, Korea to Kyrgyzstan – the Bazaar was a gathering of craftspeople eager to share and learn about each other’s crafts without the industrial feel of a trade fair. A friendly forum for the professional craftsperson, the Bazaar was also a living expo of arts and crafts for the ordinary festival-goer, elevating our
pre-defined views of crafts and the crafts industry to an art form that remains relevant in our modern lifestyles.
taking a walk through the Bazaar was very much like walking through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. A departure from the typical avenue of souvenir stalls selling tourist trinkets, the Bazaar showcased a diversity of handicrafts that makes our cultures so unique – from woolly felt rings from Kyrgyzstan to wooden combs from Korea – crafts also remind us of how much alike we are.
My impromptu guide was Jacqueline Vera Peter, a representative from the sabahan Kadaiku, as eager as I was to explore the other crafts at the Bazaar. she was quick to point out the similarities and the differences between sabahan crafts and the others, the most similar of which are the textiles and the baskets.
one type of fabric amongst the Indonesian stalls caught her eye – thick, handwoven, candy-striped and vibrant. she struck up a conversation with the Indonesian booth-holder, and they shared a friendly debate over the fabric’s name and origins. to him, it’s kain lurik, of Javanese origin, but to her, it’s kain jali jali, woven by the Iranun women of sabah.
the basket is another simple example of our cultural congruence. Made of pandan leaves or stiff reeds, it is an object universally used before the advent of the modern day backpack. today it is an art-piece; it has even undergone a reinvention of sorts.
susanna Kampp, a member of the Denmark Basket Guild (DBG), was busy weaving a baby’s rattle.
by Margaret Apau
04
Made of willow wands, the job looks like it’s hard on the fingertips, but the end result is worth it. An intricate plaited helix, a trilling bell inside – this rattle is charming and unique. this was susanna’s second trip to sarawak; a few years ago she visited an Iban longhouse to study traditional basketry. “I wanted to learn the different techniques and styles of basket-weaving,” she said of her first experience. so successful was this reinvention of the Danish basket, that even youngsters are now using them to take their books to school. “to keep traditional craft alive,” Kampp said, “it has to undergo a renewal of sorts.”
Iban pottery has similarly undergone reinvention. Utilizing traditional pottery making tools – a polished stone ‘anvil’, a couple of paddles (one plain, the other carved with simple swirly designs) and a pestle – nabilah Abdullah has made a rewarding entrepreneurship for herself by rejuvenating the earthenware pot. “the silver glaze is my own addition,” she said. Creating a well in the ball of clay with the pestle, she tucked the ball inside and tapped out its potential shape with the paddle. What emerged was a bulbous-shaped vessel, to be embellished with her signature etchings and drip-glazing.
the unique kimono-inspired use of traditional Jogjakartan handwoven textiles was another great example where tradition meets modernity. today’s hot fashion item amongst Jakarta’s youth, hand-loomed fabric was facing extinction. the weavers were underpaid, and turned to other occupations. In collaboration with a Japanese partner, Lilies soetanto strove to rejuvenate this failing industry by hiking up the market price. With adequate compensation and a renewed demand for this fabric, the hand-loom industry remains a valuable asset in Indonesia’s increasingly modernizing countryside.
Held from 9-15 July, the Rainforest World Crafts Bazaar proved that adaptability, relevance and authenticity are winning formulas of the traditional craft industry. Aiming to include an even broader range of countries in its list of exhibitors for next year, it will be interesting to see the day when the Bazaar becomes a main attraction instead of a supporting actor.
The Editor would like to thank Margaret
Apau and The Borneo Post for kindly
contributing to this issue of CRAFTS.
Photos by RWCB Committee and friends05
“Hadoh,” said one of the bead-sellers from Miri, hastily straightening her head-band and smoothing down her blouse as the Prime Minister’s lady was about to visit the RWCB on Friday night, “no end of orang besar!”
orang besar are ‘big people’, and we were proud to welcome a whole bunch of them. starting with the official opening, during the exhilarating time of the Rainforest World Music Festival, and even on the Monday after, the RWCB was honoured by one orang besar after another.
We hope they enjoyed their visit as much as we enjoyed their presence – please come again next year!
Guess Who Came to the rainforest World Crafts Bazaar?
Datin sri Jeanne Abdullah is welcomed by the craftswomen of Miri and Baram Datin sri Jeanne Abdullah and Datuk Amar Puan sri Dr. Hajjah Laila taib
Pehin sri Abdul taib Mahmud with Datuk sulaiman taib, Assistant Minister of tourism Malaysia and Ms Gracie Geikie, Ceo of sarawak tourism Board
06
Dato’ Mohammed Mohd Daud, Deputy secretary-General
Ministry of Unity, Cultural, Arts & Heritage flanked by Mohd
Latif Dirun and Heidi Munan, Director of RWCB (right) admire
the work of nabila Abdullah as a Kraftangan Demonstrator
concentrates on her songket weaving in the Kraftangan
Pavilion
In the foreground, from left: Datuk Patinggi tan sri Dr. George Chan,
Bapak Rafail Walangitan, Vice Consul General, Indonesian Consulate;
Ibu edith Ratna, official of the national Crafts Council of Indonesia
From left: Mohd Latif Dirun, Director Kraftangan sarawak Branch; Datin sri Jeanne Abdullah; Heidi Munan; Datuk Amar Puan sri Dr. Hajjah Laila taib; Datuk sulaiman taib
Datuk Patinggi tan sri Dr. George Chan, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture Modernisation and Industrial Development
Datin sri Jeanne Abdullah admiring a
fine piece of basketry
the Chief Minister admires the
workings of a tiny model bicycle as
Datuk sri Wong looks on
From left: YB Larry sng, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s office; Heidi Munan, Datuk Amar Laila taib
Datuk Patinggi tan sri Dr. George Chan with RWCB organisers Rosemarie Wong, De Gayantina thamrin, Heidi Munan and Donald tan
Phot
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07
If you can’t find fig leaves, wear tree bark.
the indigenous inhabitants of southeast Asia and the Pacific used tree bark, or more correctly the inner layer called tree bast, long before they learnt the art of weaving, or trade textiles became available.
With a little care, bark cloth can serve most textile purposes: loincloths, skirts and jackets, headbands, blankets and even bed curtains (in some parts of Indonesia an insect-repellent bark was used), wrapping material, basket straps, the weft in a tough kind of floor mat. the cowboys of sabah used bark cloth as a horse blanket, to cushion the wooden saddles so their ponies’ backs wouldn’t get galled.
even where weaving was practised, bark cloth provided a cheap substitute/supplement. 19th-century travellers note that bark cloth is only used where ‘bazaar cloth’ is not available, or by those people who can’t afford to buy it.
the one time even skilled weavers or wealthy people wore bark cloth was during the mourning period, when anything colourful or decorative had to be laid aside.
The Raw Materials
some ten trees, including the wild fig or kayu kara (Ficus spp) may be used to make bark cloth. the two most common ones in Borneo are:a) Tekalong, of the breadfruit family (Artocarpus spp). With some care the bark can be peeled off the tree without killing it. this is the most
easily available source of bark; it produces a light brown fabric, darkening with wear; considered very serviceable especially for loin cloths; and
b) Ipoh, upas (Antiaris toxicaria). the sap of this tree yields the best-known arrow poison; the bark is only taken off the tree one year after it has been felled. Ipoh bark produces a fine-grained, creamy-white cloth, considered superior to tekalong; owing to the method of harvesting it is, obviously, much rarer.
by Heidi Munan
08
Modern embellishment of traditional material. Photo: Heidi Munan
Method
the traditional method of making bark cloth is described below; today, the rubber mangle is often used to make bark cloth for carrying straps and the like. this gives a fabric with a waffle impression on it.
one reason why bark cloth remained in use for everyday wear even in societies where weaving was practised, or after commercial cloth had become available, may be that there is no gender restriction on its manufacture. Any man or woman may make it.
From the diary of a noted Dutch traveller, Dr A W nieuwenhuis comes this observation, jotted down during a ‘rest day’ on one of his late 19th-century journeys through Borneo:
“one magnificently tattooed Baketan cut a piece of bark, measuring 4 metres x 30 cm, off a wild breadfruit tree. this strip he rolled up tightly, and beat it gently with a notched wooden mallet. As the bark got softened, he unrolled the strip, shook it out, rolled it up again, more tightly and continued beating. After several hours of this treatment the piece was widened to about 80 cm, and had become quite soft. He hung the strip of cloth in the fast-flowing river overnight, allowing the water to carry away the woody pieces of bark which still adhered to the soft bast cloth. After drying it the next day, he was the proud owner of a new, light brown loincloth which he could expect to use for many months.” (Quer durch Borneo, e J Brill, Leyden 1907; vol.1, p. 223ff.)
Pattern Darning
Bark cloth has one weakness inherent in the organic fibre structure: it tends to fray along the natural grain. When used as a loincloth, being subjected to longitudinal tension only, it doesn’t need reinforcements. A jacket or skirt, however, has to be strengthened across the fibre by transverse stitching or – for decorative purposes – pattern darning.
At its plainest, this strengthening process involves bands of running stitch across the garments at regular intervals; mourning clothes were treated in this way. stitching was done very carefully, so as to be almost invisible, even in the days when thorns or fish-bones were used as needles.
For everyday or festive wear, extra stitching is done in elaborate patterns, often with coloured thread or, since the 20th century, wool yarn. Bands of running stitch alternated to form blocks, chequers, crosses and herringbone patterns. the hems, neck openings and armholes of bark garments are often bound with plain or printed bazaar cloth, and further embellished with fringes, beadwork edgings or needle-weaving.
Changing Fashions
the last people to make and use bark clothing for everyday purposes were probably the Kenyah of the upper Batang Koyan and Bahau, south of the sarawak border in the region of the Kelabit highlands. It is impossible to determine whether these people felt strongly about their traditions, or were too poor (remote?) to be able to buy bazaar cloth.
In some areas bark cloth was still used for mourning garments long after it had been abandoned for normal wear. A cross-cultural offshoot was the use of unbleached calico (the traditional mourning garb of the Chinese), stained brown to resemble bark cloth.
the use of bark cloth for carrying straps, and as the weft for strong floor mats, never completely ceased, though it was usually a few elderly people who were skilled (interested) in producing the stuff. there was increased demand for bark cloth during the Japanese occupation (1941–45) when trade in all commodities, including bazaar cloth, was severely disrupted.
today, bark cloth garments are worn during traditional festivals and the costume parades associated with these events.
Bark cloth has enjoyed a renaissance in sarawak – since about the 1980s, artists and skilled embroiderers have been using it as a ‘canvas’.
Bark cloth vest reinforced with pattern darning, front and rear view, Ulu Bahau c.1890.Photo: Quer durch Borneo
Woman in bark cloth mourning garb. Photo from Een Filmreis naar en door Central-Borneo by H F tillema (Amsterdam 1938)
09
In sarawak, the word ‘silver’ is virtually synonymous with the Iban ladies’ favourite adornments. During festival times, they deck themselves in silver ornaments almost from head to toe, and the men don’t lag far behind.
Iban Silver Ornaments
In the past, the silver headgear, necklaces, belts (also worn across the shoulders, bandolier-style), anklets and sword furniture were mainly the work of itinerant Maloh silversmiths from the area of the middle Kapuas. one of their more unusual productions was the ‘corset’ worn by Iban ladies: a set of rattan hoops firmly enclosing the wearer’s waist and hips, threaded with innumerable small silver rings. this ornament varied in w i d t h from three inches to six or more, covering the wearer’s body from breas t to hip; it was often embellished with rows of coins suspended from the lower edge.
While gold deposits have long been known, and exploited, in sarawak and West Kalimantan, most silver was and is imported. In the old days this was mainly in the form of coin. Besides using them as raw material to make silver foil and the like, whole coins were also incorporated in the ornaments.
old silver jewellery still contains the Dutch one-guilder and half-guilder with Queen Wilhelmina on the face. the Mexican silver dollar and a number of late 19th- or early 20th-century Chinese silver coins are sometimes seen, as well as the straits settlement dollars. George V and George VI coins may dangle from an Iban lady’s petticoats, so may Charles Brooke and Charles Vyner dollars. Because of their popularity, these coins were and still are faked; the extreme lightness gives away the fact that they have practically no silver content.
Malay Silversmiths
Malay ladies share their Iban sisters’ love of finery; the silversmiths of the Peninsula are still well known for their traditional skills. Many of them work on commission, for royalty; the workmanship of typical Malay silver ornaments is always fine, and the metal is of the highest grade of purity.
the Malay market required elegant sireh and betelnut sets, tobacco boxes, fingerbowls, trays and utensils. Bolster ends are a specialty: round, rectangular or hexagonal plates of embossed silver, perforated around the edge so they can be attached to a pillow.
by Dr thomas Chung
top: Iban girls from the 1950s or 60s in full festival costume. Photo: Courtesy of sarawak Museum. Left: Modesty shield for a small girl.
Malay bride in silver-gilt headdress, neckpiece and earrings, silver belt and bangles. Photo: Courtesy of sarawak Museum
10
Because Islam prohibits the representation of humans, these pieces feature geometric and floral designs, beautifully executed. over the centuries each region has evolved its own typical style of ornamentation.
Chinese Silversmiths
Chinese silversmiths are to be found in most parts of Malaysia, often as ‘cottage’ workers. Goldsmith shops usually have a section where antique and new silver jewellery is displayed.
In sarawak, the Chinese silversmiths quickly learned to produce the ornaments popular for the local Dayak market. some of these things were sold in the main bazaars, others were taken up-country by itinerant traders. Lower grades of silver tended to be used for the ‘up-river’ market, partly in consideration of the buyers’ economic status, and partly to cater to their preference for massed displays of silver ornaments.
A new development in this field is the production of Iban ‘silver’ ornaments made of thinly silver-plated brass foil, or plain tin foil. these items – tall head combs, men’s ‘crowns’, belt buckles, bangles and anklets, are mainly purchased by cultural dance troupes. they are light, comparatively cheap, and they look presentable on stage. to costume a group of dancers in authentic antique silver would cost a major fortune nowadays!
Nonya Silver
the main output of the local silversmiths, however, was for their peranakan (locally domiciled Chinese, or ‘nonya’) customers, a community that flourishes in Malacca, Penang and singapore. nonya culture requires elaborate silver and gold finery for festive occasions such as weddings. During the rubber boom of the 1930s, prosperous traders built magnificent mansions, and flaunted their wealth by decking their womenfolk in jewellery.
silver belts, up to 2lb in weight, with large ornamental buckles, were one of the popular items, as were hair pins, earrings, necklaces and bangles. silver-gilt was also popular for this market. the motifs embossed on such jewellery included the deer, crane, bat, fish, dragon and phoenix, the unicorn, or Buddhist and taoist symbols.
Modern Silver
the demand and taste for traditional silver ornaments may have waned, except among the antique collectors. A few local artists, however, are involved in the production of silver ornaments, often based on traditional art motifs. their output is obviously small; the discerning buyer will visit the silversmith’s boutique to select a piece or two.
What about the mass market? In many shopping malls we find stalls selling exclusively silver ornaments: chains, pendants, ‘charm bracelets’, ear studs, and rings. some are set with semi-precious stones. this modern silver jewellery is very popular with the younger generation, even teenagers. the tastes may have changed, but a preference for the cool purity of silver remains.
Malay disks for decoration on pillows and such
Hairpins for the nonya ladies
Chinese workmanship at its finestUnless otherwise accredited, photos by Heidi Munan with special thanks to nelson tan.
11
At weekends, Miku Megan/Migen and his wife Rejow nyogir tend a roadside stall in Kampung Duyoh. they’re all smiles watching the throng of local and foreign visitors plying the otherwise sleepy village road that leads to serikin, a village at the Indonesian border. this friendly couple patiently waits for any potential customer to stop by and check out the array of handicrafts, village grown rice, vegetables, and fruits they sell.
sometimes, they have wild honey for sale. Miku’s sugar cane tuak is exceptional in colour, texture and flavour—so say those who have tasted it. naturally, the demand far exceeds the supply. Miku can only do as much as time allows him because he’s always occupied with endless things to do. there’s never a dull moment for this quiet, unassuming man who‘s very much at home with his environment.
When I asked Rejow about certain plant fibres and asked her to get them for me, she unhesitatingly agreed. I waited for a couple of months, giving up on Rejow. then she rang me up. to my delight, I collected some plant fibres called duman, sitoto greget, and sitoto mana. Rejow and Miku collected these plant fibres from the jungle literally right in their backyard. Collecting the plants is easy. It’s the cutting, peeling, slicing and shaving them that takes time.
the next thing our conversation led us to was natural, organic, plant dyes. Miku shyly volunteered that as a child, he used to see his late father using dyes extracted from both cultivated and jungle plants. Although he never learned from his father about natural dyes and their plant sources, he said he could identify some of the plants based on early memories. He was also optimistic that he could get to the right source by asking around among his father’s surviving peers. I requested that he dye some rattan strips for me.
Miku and Rejow cut rattan vines they collected, stripped the skins off, and dyed them. Weeks later, I collected quite a few rattan strips dyed in absolutely natural and gorgeous black and red.
Miku extracts grey to black dyes from leaves of jungle shrubs and trees like grombang, rusak, produos, and wild woody fungus growing on old trees in the forest. For red dyes, Miku extracts juice from the edible fleshy bulb of a jungle plant called bawang betomong and the fruit of a specific rattan, gronong. We tested Miku’s dyes on rattan skin, bark cloth, and cotton thread. the results are surprisingly good, and appear to be colour-fast.
Unlike some professional dyers I know, Miku doesn’t use any commercially prepared or chemical mordant and fixer. He has his own formula for his 100% natural, organic dyes. Miku’s dyeing process is wholly traditional. sometimes the dyes are used
by Lucy Ang-Abey
Pale pink coral beads using dye from grombang leaves, wild woody fungus and bawang betomong
Giant wild woody fungus yields grey-black dye
Dumam (frog fern) fibre used for plaiting bangles, decorating baskets, parang sheaths…
Miku washing those dyed rattan strips
14
sARAWAK
MIRI Permanent Craft Mart at the Handicraft Centre, Brooke Road
KUCHING Weekly Craft Mart every Friday–sunday at the Waterfront
MALAYsIA
November 19–24 MALAYSIAN CONGKAT PROMOTION10am–8pm at Kompleks Kraf, Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur
December 19–28 LANGKAWI CRAFT PROMOTION10am–6pm at Kompleks Kraf Langkawi, teluk Yu, Pulau Langkawi
For further information on both events contact Kraftangan Malaysia: tel: 03 2162 7459 or www.kraftangan.gov.my
ARoUnD tHe WoRLD
October 15–18INDIAN HANDICRAFTS AND GIFTS FAIRIndia expo Centre, Greater noida expressway, new DelhiHand-crafted gifts and housewares of all kindsFor information contact Vasant Kunj: tel: +(91) (11) 26135256 or Fax: +(91) (11) 26135518/26135519
November 6–9ADELAIDE CRAFTS AND QUILTS FAIR, Royal Adelaide showground, For further information contact the organizer, expertise events: tel: + 61 9452 7575 9452 or info@expertiseevent.com.au
April 2009MEGA MACAO Gifts, housewares and handicraft fair.exact dates to be confirmed. For further information from the organizer, Kenfair International, visit www.kenfair.com
‘raw’, other times, the dyes are boiled and cooled before use. In my own experiments with white cotton embroidery thread, using Miku’s ‘raw’ or boiled dyes don’t produce markedly different results. either way, the dyed threads are lovely. there are about eight more of Miku’s organic dyes I have yet to try.
Being very much a self-motivated person with an open mind to new ideas, Miku experiments with dye extraction, preparation and methods in his own time, and in his own way. He does so in his “laboratoty”, an otherwise unused part next to the kitchen of his old house.
there’s no telling where Miku’s dye experiments will lead him to. He is at home either in the forest or in a big city like singapore or Johor Bahru, where he worked and lived. He has jungle farm lands to tend to, some farm animals to look after, goes to the forest as he pleases, collecting exotic plant specimens for dyes and seeds from ancient trees for handicraft decorations. His wife needs him to help out at the weekend roadside stall. His tuak customers keep coming back for more.
He built his two houses. He’s building extensions to his new house and his “laboratoty”, with most of the building materials he collects from the forest and the jungle. His cars are always waiting for him for some major ‘operation’ or some long-awaited ‘cosmetic’ work.
Will Miku become a professional dyer to package and commercialise his dyes? that would be nice.
WHat’s on… in the WorlD of CraFts
Bidayuh basket made by Rejow from rattan strips and dyed using rusak leaves with banana blossom
White cotton embroidery thread (left to right), dyed in banana blossom with rambutan leaves, black mud with jering leaves, and banana blossom with produos leaves (end results: silver grey, copper grey and pewter grey)
15
Sarawak Craft Council, Sarawak Handicraft Centre, Round Tower, Lot 32 Sect 25 KTLD, Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak
tel 60 82 245 652, 252 241, fax 60 82 420 253e-mail : beatricekedoh@yahoo.com
website : www.sarawakhandicraft.com
Published for SCC by: Crafthub Sdn.Bhd, First Floor, No.96 Main Bazaar, 93000 Kuching Sarawak Malaysia.
tel: 60 82 421 346 fax: 60 82 614 622 email: crafthub@gmail.com
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